Intervention
by Sixty Five Roses
Summary: Sharon comes to Andy asking for urgent advice regarding Jack's gambling problem. The advice turns out to be empowering.


He hadn't expected the knock on the door in the middle of the Dodgers game, but his face was red with anger and he had a choice of words to say to the person who interrupted him as he opened the door. To his surprise he found the Captain standing at his doorstep, her hair half-up and an unsettled expression on her face. Suddenly all the anger inside him dissolved and he put on the most charming smile he could muster.

"Sharon," he said, his voice almost cheerful. "What a surprise." At least he wasn't lying; he was very surprised to see her and even more surprised to see that she looked anything but happy to see him. He invited her inside and she stepped in, almost hesitantly.

"Did I come at a bad time?" she said as she noticed the Dodgers game on TV.

"No, absolutely not. They Dodgers are losing anyway. Such a bad season," Andy shrugged and turned the television off. "Can I offer you some coffee or tea?"

"Tea will be great; thank you, Andy." He was able to hear the sadness in her voice right away, but he smiled at her anyway and walked to the kitchen. She followed him, quietly, like a shadow or some other barely-there being.

"I have green tea, jasmine tea, black tea and cherry infusion," Andy said. He wasn't a big tea drinker before he started his diet, but after he fainted, Sharon generously suggested that he tries some tea. She even took him to a tea tasting (he didn't even know such a thing existed) and recommended some of her favorite teas.

"Jasmine tea will be fine," Sharon said and watched Andy as he filled the electric kettle and turned it on. He opened the cupboard and pulled out two identical mugs. Then he grabbed a jar of cookies from the other side of the shelf and placed it on the table in front of her.

"Banana cookies; I baked them yesterday," he said. Sharon forced a smile and he turned around and pretended that he didn't notice. He wondered what had her in such an untypically murky mood. The water boiled and Andy poured them into the mugs and placed them on the kitchen table. "So what brings you here?" he asked as he took a seat in front of her. She looked as if his question struck her in the stomach. "Just wanted some company, I guess?" he smiled at her.

"I got a call, earlier," she started as she curled her fingers around her mug. "From Vegas." Andy responded with a long sole nod. "It was Jack," Sharon stated what he already understood. "He said that he's in trouble, and he needs money."

"Is it unusual for him to do that?" Andy wondered. He knew Jackson Raydor was a gambler, but he didn't know about Jack's usual dealings with Sharon.

"Yes. He said that he needs the money urgently, via wire and…" she paused and stared into her mug for a moment. "He said that if he doesn't get this money within the next 24 hours, someone will kill him; but he doesn't want to go to the police with this situation and I…" her voice broke and then faltered."I've been wondering, since you have been in AA for many years not, right?" her face flushed slightly, as if she was ashamed of discussing it with him.

"You want me to tell you if he's telling the truth," Andy stated. Sharon nodded slowly and dared looking into his eyes. "Look, Sharon, I don't know much about gamblers, but telling stories like this, about needing money urgently is a typical addict behavior. I can't tell you if your husband is in real trouble; with gambling, he might actually owe some money to a dangerous person." His words made Sharon bury her face in her palms.

"What am I gonna do?" she sighed. "I can't take chances with this situation, but I'm completely lost. I'm lost, Andy," she raised her head from her hands and looked at him, tears shining in her eyes and a tormented expression on her face.

"How much money is he asking for?" Andy asked.

"Fifteen thousand dollars," Sharon replied and took a sip from her tea.

"Okay, that is very bad," Andy agreed with her. He used to like Jack, but that was before he got to know the guy's wife well enough to know that he didn't deserve to be married to a woman like her. "Is there someone you know in Vegas that can check this for you? Maybe someone from the Vegas PD?" Sharon shook her head.

"Do you?" she asked and he could see the hopeful glint in her eyes.

"No, I'm sorry."

"Oh my God," she buried her face in her palms again.

"What about other family? Does he have any siblings you can call? Are his parents still alive?" Andy suggested.

"He has a brother," Sharon said. "But I can't call him."

"Why not?" Andy asked and grabbed a cookie from the jar, then tilted the jar toward Sharon. She shook her head slowly.

"Jack still owes him 5000 dollars. Well, technically he owes them to me, because I ended up paying his brother back, but Jerry still holds a grudge against him," Sharon explained.

"Look, if the money is a problem, I can lend you some, you know," Andy offered.

"So he can gamble your money as well? Absolutely not," Sharon said and took another sip of her tea. "I wish he would have told me, at least once, what I've done to make him turn to the bottle and gambling," she now stared at the cookies in the jar.

"Sharon, don't think this way. You are not the one who made him an addict; he's the one who chose the bottle and the casinos. He's the one who couldn't cope and nothing that you did – nothing – is the cause for his addiction," Andy explained.

"It's not what he thinks," Sharon's voice was thick with emotion.

"Sharon, you came to me for advice on addict behavior, then listen to me," Andy said. "It's not your fault that he's been acting this way. We choose how we react to things that happen to us in our lives. We are responsible for our own actions. From the look of things, you've been fixing Jack's mistakes for a long time; longer than he deserves. And let me tell you something, okay?" Andy sighed. "I met Jack even before I met you. He started attending meetings a couple of months before me, and we bonded. So when I met you, several months later, I asked him if the two of you were related; because of the name. And he told me that you are married," Andy paused. Sharon looked at him with increased interest. "Anyway, I told him – and allow me to apologize in advance for being inappropriate – that I liked your ass."

"What?" By the expression the spread across Sharon's face, Andy could tell she wasn't sure if she should be angry or flattered.

"He said – and I can tell you that, he was not kidding – 'that ass can be yours for one night for two hundred bucks'. Two hundred dollars, Sharon. That is what you're worth to him. Or at least that was your worth back then, because now you're worth fifteen thousand bucks."

"I don't believe you, Andy." Sharon shook her head.

"He said that – word for word," Andy insisted.

"He would never… I'm sure he was joking," Sharon's eyes filled with tears again.

"Sharon, he was not joking. I knew him well enough to know when he was serious. He needed money, because by that time he already started gambling. He was willing to sell you to another man for two hundred dollars." Sharon pushed her chair backwards and got up.

"I need a moment," she said.

"The bathroom is the second door to the right," Andy pointed towards the hall. She hurried down the hall and he could hear the door shutting behind her. He wished that he would have shut his big mouth.

She came back a few minutes later and he could tell that she cried. He wished he could hug her and tell her it was okay; that she wasn't the first wife who lived in the illusion that her husband would choose her over his addictions; that she was worth a lot more than 200 dollars, much more. But instead he just stood there as she took her seat back.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I kinda wish I could take those words back,"

"I wish you could," Sharon replied.

"I refused, just so you know," Andy said. "I told him that he should appreciate the fact that he has a wife at all, because some wives cheated on their husbands with their best friends, and you didn't seem like the type."

"Your wife?" Sharon seemed surprised.

"I only started drinking after I caught them together. I thought I could put up with that, as long as I have enough liquor in my system," Andy explained. "But that just gave her an excuse to divorce me and blame me for her cheating."

"Jack cheated too," Sharon sighed. "Almost from the beginning."

"Of course he has, Sharon. It never ends with just drinking or gambling. Somewhere along the way, an addict will reach the point where all their morals are lost."

"Are you talking from experience?" Sharon asked, and Andy could not help but noticing the emotional way in which she pronounced each of the words that came out of her mouth.

"No, actually. I never cheated on Janet. That was probably the one thing I did right in this marriage; that and my children."

"So really, what you're saying is that Jack is too far gone," Sharon said, her tone grave.

"I didn't say that," Andy said. "I believe that almost everyone can be saved, if they want it enough."

"But not everyone," the look in Sharon's eyes was undeniably one of the saddest he's ever seen. He shook his head slowly, taking a sip of his tea that was getting cold. "Do you think Jack is a lost cause?"

"I think he might be," he had to admit the truth to her. He was an AA sponsor for a few years now and he's met some addicts who were not ready to change. These people never made it out of their addictions. Some died trying, some went to jail for DUI and other felonies and some just never attended meetings anymore. Jack seemed to belong to the latter group and if he was telling Sharon the truth, it was possible that he was about to join the first group too.

"I have to make a decision," Sharon said. "If I send him the money, I will be feeding his addiction – and if not, he might be killed."

"Maybe there's a third option," Andy declared and Sharon looked at him, a spark of hope in her eyes. "You could lure him here, tell him that you'll only give him the money if he comes back to LA – and if he agrees, you arrange an intervention for him."

"An intervention?"

"Yes, it means that you sit with him, and as many family members and friends that you can bring here and you all tell him that you give him one last chance to go to rehab and work towards sobriety or whatever it is gamblers work for. If he chooses to go to rehab, then you will give him all the support you can, but if he chooses otherwise, you disconnect from him, until he's ready to change," Andy explained.

"It sounds harsh," Sharon said.

"It is. Extreme situations often call for extreme measures." Andy looked at her for a moment as she contemplated the idea.

"I might be able to get my children and his brother here," she said after a moment. "And maybe, his ex-partner at the firm… I'm afraid that's all the people I can think of."

"That's enough, Sharon. As long as those people can tell him that they love him but will not tolerate his behavior any longer, it should be enough." Sharon nodded at his words. "Then call him up, tell him that you're waiting for him here and we'll go from there."

"Okay," Sharon took her iPhone out of her pocket and located Jack's number. She took a deep breath before she called him. "Do you want me to put it on speaker?" she asked.

"Whatever feels comfortable for you," Andy replied. Jack picked up the phone almost immediately.

"Sharon," they heard his voice that was almost too excited. "So happy to hear your voice."

"Jack, listen to me." Sharon cut right to the chase. "If you want me to give you money, you need to come here."

"I can't just leave here; I'm in the middle of something," Jack replied. "Wire me the money. It's gonna be the fastest way."

"No, Jack. If you want the money, you need to come here. You will not get a dime, unless you show your face in LA," Sharon looked at Andy desperately.

"What is this for, Sharon? It's just gonna waste my time," Jack insisted.

"You're going to waste my money. It only seems fair that I get to see you."

"Why do you wanna see me? The last time I was there, you kicked me out," Jack argued.

"That's not true. You left, without saying goodbye," Sharon said.

"I left a note," Jack replied.

"A note is not a goodbye, Jack." Sharon was getting tired of this call already. "Anyway, the only way you are going to get any money from me is if you come to LA."

"That's ridiculous, Sharon. I'm not coming," Jack answered.

"Then I am sorry, but I can't help you," Sharon sighed.

"Are you crazy? Do you have any idea what's going to happen to me if you don't send the money?" Jack called out.

"That's your chance,' Andy whispered to her. She nodded at him.

"Jack, if you are not coming back here, then I am done with you, forever. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Sharon asked, and tried to keep her voice steady.

"I can't, Sharon. I don't have the time to come over all the way to Los Angeles. You don't even make sense," Jack replied.

"Jackson Raydor, you listen to me right now and internalize every single word I say," Sharon growled. "This is the last chance you will ever get from me. If you come here and go to rehab and make an effort – a real effort to stay away from gambling, I will pay your debt. But if you do not do that, then we are finished. If I help you – you have to give something in return and this is what I want."

"I don't want to go to rehab, Sharon. My gambling is not a problem; it's never been a problem. It's just something I do for fun," Jack's voice turned sweet.

"This is not fun, Jack. This is not fun for me or for the children and if you choose gambling over us again – you will not see or hear from any of us again; not until you stop gambling completely." Andy could hear the cracks in Sharon's voice.

"You can't do this to me, Sharon. You're being unfair; this is my life you're talking about," Jack called out.

"This is my life I'm talking about; and the children's lives. For over twenty years, I had to put up with all your drinking and cheating and gambling. I don't deserve this, Jack. I have always been fateful and supportive of you, whereas you have never done the same for me. Our children did not deserve growing up feeling that their father abandoned them. Our lives in your shadow have been paved with disappointments and tears and this has got to stop," Andy's heart broke as she said these words. He knew how hard it was for her to admit it to herself and the courage she needed in order to say these words to a man with whom she shared so much history.

"Sharon, this is not the time to discuss these things. I need the money urgently. You have to help me," Jack begged.

"I'm sorry, Jack. I can't help you anymore. You'll have to get by on your own," she was about hang up, but then lifted her finger from the screen. "And just so you know, I am filing for divorce."

"Are you crazy?" She heard his muffled voice.

"Maybe. Goodbye, Jack," Sharon said as she hung up the phone. She looked at Andy and her eyes slowly filled up with tears again, only this time she let them out. Andy reached out for her hand and entwined his finger with hers.

"You know that you did everything you could, right?" he said, his voice soft. She nodded, unable to speak. "I'm proud of you, Sharon."

"Thank you," she mumbled through her tears. Andy got up and drew her into his arms, allowing her to sob on his shoulder.

"You know, the Dodgers game is still on, if you don't feel like going home yet," he said as her sobs subsided. She pulled away from him and gave him a quick nod, then followed him to the living room. "You can take your shoes off and get comfortable on the couch." Sharon did as he said and they both found positions that were comfortable for them – Sharon leaning against his shoulder, but not enough to burden him and Andy with his feet stretched on the coffee table in front of him. They watched the game together and Andy barely noticed how Sharon's hand crawled into his, and the way her head rested against his shoulder. It was only after the game ended (the Dodgers lost) that he noticed that Sharon has fallen asleep on his shoulder, her cheeks wet with tears. Gently, he slipped from under her head and she moved, but didn't wake. He pushed a pillow under her head and covered her with a blanket that was thrown on the backrest. "It's gonna be just fine," he said as he shut the TV and walked down the hall to his bedroom, the Serenity prayer on his lips as he slipped into his bed.

_God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,_

_The courage to change the things I can,_

_And wisdom to know the difference._


End file.
